Dial mechanism for automatic telephones



LGEQSQIL A. LUCKKE ET AL DI AL MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES FiledMarch. 28, 1927 v ALuc/a'e &TL.Man gum Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STATES ALFRED L'UGKIE AND TYLER L. MANGUM, 0F BIRMINGHAM,ALABAMA.

DIAL MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES.

Application filed March 28, 1927. Serial No. 179,156.

plied with luminous paint to increase their visibility through theirtransparent carrier.

A further object is to provide telescoping protecting disks which willeffectively exelude dust and dirt from the number dial withoutinterfering with the freedom of manipulation for the movable dial.

A further object is to provide the circular casing in which the fixeddial has heretofore been mounted with an upstanding annular flangeadapted to telescope into a flange. depending from the movable dial, theflanges permitting the interposition under the openings in the movabledial of a transparent annulus adapted to prevent access of dust throughthe top openings to the dial numbers or marks.

A further objectqis to form the protecting annulus with depressions orpockets arranged to correspond with the finger holes in the ,movabledials, the annulus being adapted to be mounted in a novel and efi'ective way in the flange of the movable dial so as to give a practicallydust proof closure.

A further object is to provide the depressions'in the transparentannulus so that they deepen in the direction of manipulation of thedial. thereby to present a more abruptly inclined wall on that side ofthe depression and thus facilitate the manipulation of the movable dialby pencils or the like and to increase the grip When operated by thefinger.

Our invention further comprises the novel details of construction andarrangements of parts, which, in their preferred embodiments only, areillustrated in the accompanying drawings which. form a part of thisspecification, and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a dialtelephone base equipped with our invention, with the dial mechanismpartly broken awa Fig. 2 is a plan view of the movable dial.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the transparent :ipinulus showing the dialdigits on its under ace.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base carry.- ing the standard fixed numberdial.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line VV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail cross-section taken on the line VIVI of Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals refer lar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of our invention illus trated, we show in part aconventional telephone instrument having mounted on its base 7 a fixedcup-like housing 8, which in our present construction will be providedwith an extension flange 9 rising almost to the level of the annularcentral support (not shown), which projects through the bottom opening10 in the casing upon the top of which the telephone number plate 11 isusually mounted. A fixed dial 12, annular in shape. is mounted in thehousing and upon this dial are usually displayed successively the ninedigits and a cipher and also such letter or call symbols as may bedesired. Rotatably mounted above the dial 12 is a movable dial 13 havingopenings ltherein above the several digits and symbols on the fixed dial12. This dial 13 corresponds to the present standard dial except that itis formed with a marginal depending, annular flange 15 which telescopesover the flange 9 on the housing. The telescoping flanges havesutlicient clearance to avoid frictional contact which might slow up thetravel of the movable dial.

On the inner surface of the flange 15 we provide preferably a veryslight annular shoulder 16 with a very slight taper downwardly and whichterminates above in an annular seat 17 in the inner face of the dialflange 15 adapted to snugly receive a transparent annulus 17 which isadapted to be snapped into position by bein pressed upwardly over thistaper shou der. In the groove we provide at least one look lug 18 whichis adapted to be received in a notch 19 in the peripherv of thetransparent annulus, thereby holding it in the groove to simiagainstrotation. This annulus can be so adapted to register with each of the.movable dial holes 14, these depressions being deepened towards theright to afford a better purchase for a pencil or the like instrument inoperating the dial and alsoto increase the finger grip. The depressionshowever should not be deep enough to make it diflicult to keep themclean.

We have. described the annulus as of flexible transparent material, butour invention contemplates that the annulus may be of any transparentmaterial and that it may be mounted in any manner that will aflordsubstantially dust-proof protection under the openings in the top of themovable dial. Our invention contemplates that the trans parent annulusattached to the underside of the movable dial may, if desired, beconnected thereto With a suitable adhesive to more effectively seal thejoints, and that'the numerals and symbols displayed on the lower dialmay be displayed by luminous paint as at 21 on the underface of thetransparent annulus, i. e., on the underside of the depressions 20therein. The telescoping members when associated with the numeralbearingannulus will protect such numerals from dust and dirt and fromdefacement and, due to the fact that the movable dial is stopped in itsforward movement by the stop arm 22 and returns automatically to itsstarting position, this dial can be manipulated either by a movementthereof relative to the fixed dial numerals or by a movement thereofwith reference to the dial figures carried by the transparent annulus onthe movable dial. The figures are below the transparent annulus in bothforms of our invention and they will be protected from defacementthereby. Our invention when assembled will efiectively protect the dialdigits and symbols withoutintorfer-' ing at all with the manipulation"of the movable dial to signal.

Though we have described with great particularity the details of theembodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed thatwe are limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution ofequivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom themvention as defined in the. appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a telephone dial mechanism, a rotatable dial plate carrying aseries of finger holes closed below by a transparent element rotatablewith the dial plate, a series of signal indicia visible through saidholes, and stop means to limit rotation of the dial in signalling.

2. A telephone dial mechanism according to claim 1, in which the signalindicia are applied to the underface of the transparent element.

3. A telephone dial mechanism according to claim 1, in which thetransparent ele ment; provides a socket co-extensive with its respectivedial hole and having greater depth in the direction of the dials"forward operating movements.

4. A telephone dial mechanism according to claim 1, in which the transarent element is in the form of an annu us having with the holes in themovable dial.

5. In a telephonedial mechanism, a cuplike receptacle, a rotatable dialhaving a marginal flange telescoping about said receptacle, a stop forthe dial carried by said receptacle, there being finger holes in saiddial, a transparent cover mounted inside the dial to close said holesagainst access of .dust to said receptacle, and signal indicia disposedto be visible through said transparent cover and in position to beprojected by said cover and telescoping walls from dust and defacement.

6. A telephone dial mechanism according to claim 5, in which a fixeddial is mounted in said receptacle and displays said signal indicia.

7 In a telephone dial mechanism, a rotatable dial having finger holesand a marginal downturned flange, and a transparent annulus engaged insaid flange and provided with depressions registering with said holes inthe dial.

8. In a telephone dial mechanism, a rotatable dial having finger holesand a marginal downturned flange, a transparent annulus engaged in saidflange and provided marginal sockets formed therein to register l withdepressions registering with said holes ALFRED LUCKIE. TYLER L. MANGUM.

